Is Mary the Pagan Goddess Ishtar?
The “Queen of the Universe” statement in the Lumen Gentium (a Catholic document from 1964) causes some people to think the Catholic Church is putting her at the head of heaven. They point out that “Queen of Heaven”, was also once applied to Ishtar by her Babylonian devotees (Jeremiah 44:18-19). They think that this somehow proves that Mary and Ishtar are the same being, and that Catholics really worship Ishtar when they honor Mary. First let us look at the Scripture that is being used against the Catholic Church on this matter. Don’t you see what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead the dough, to make cakes to the Queen of Heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings to other gods, that they may provoke Me to anger. (Jeremiah 7:17-18) Never has the Catholic Church offered cakes (or any other sacrifice) to Mary. The passage says “and to pour out drink-offerings to other gods.” Catholics
